Media Advisory - BPRA and ZIMCODD Launch Campaign Against
Prepaid Water Meters in Bulawayo
Bulawayo
Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) in partnership with the Zimbabwe
Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD) will on Saturday 22 March 2014 hold
a meeting to discuss the move by the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) to introduce prepaid
water meters in Bulawayo. The meeting, which is set to take place in Cowdray
Park (ward 28) where BCC intends to pilot the gadgets comes on the occasion of
World Water Day commemorations which recognise access to clean, potable water
as an inalienable human right. The aim of the meeting is to begin a debate on
the merits and demerits of introduction of prepaid water meters in Bulawayo with
the mind of mobilising residents to reject them as a violation of the right to
water. The meeting will be graced by the Mayor of Bulawayo, Councillor Martin
Moyo and the councillor of Cowdray Park, Collet Ndlovu. It is set to take place
from 10am to 1pm.
The
main question to be addressed by the meeting is whether or not it is prudent to
introduce prepaid water meters in light of Zimbabwe’s political and socio-economic
situation that has reduced most Zimbabweans to paupers with unemployment
estimated at over 80 percent and most citizens with incomes below the poverty
datum line. The meeting shall also question the effects of prepaid water meters
on poor communities in light of the fact that safety nets for vulnerable
groupings have all but disappeared since the inception of Zimbabwe’s political
and economic challenges in the year 2000.
BPRA
and ZIMCODD believe that prepaid water meters are undesirable as they lead to
automatic disconnection of those who cannot afford to purchase water credit,
meaning that poor people would be denied their right to water or forced to use
less water than they need to lead a healthy life. They are also discriminatory
as they allow the rich to use as much water as they want yet usage by the poor is
limited. The two organisations have undertaken research that found that prepaid
water meters are retrogressive, especially in poor communities.
Meeting
to Discuss Introduction of Prepaid Water Meters in Bulawayo
|
DATE
|
WARD
|
VENUE
|
TIME
|
AGENDA
|
|
22/03/2014
|
28
(Cowdray Park)
|
Mahlathini
Primary School
|
10am
– 1pm
|
Prepaid
Water Meters
|
Journalists are invited to cover the
meeting.
Regards
Information
Department
Bulawayo Progressive
Residents Association
Bus.
Tel: +263 9 61196
Cell:
+263 772 516 729 or 0775 233 581
Twitter:
@byopra
Facebook:
www.fabook.com/uhlelolwezakhamizi
